ohio

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erie driftwood beach
pebbles, sand under bare feet
nuke plant fades from view
(7-05)






t'ledo streets were once
covered with elms - all summer,
they held our secrets
(3-10)







hit ev'ry yard sale
in holmes county - we english
have t'go to walmart
(1-13)

a ways down straight street,

some weeds out there, but you’ll find

th’cincinnati yards

(6-15)

t'ledo zoo panda
fresh bamboo flown in daily
held up in detroit
(7-05)







turnpike rest stop dawn -
rock star spotted near bathroom;
august's lively beat
(4-10)






sea of red 'n' silver,
pitcher spilled on hiker's pack -
must've beat michigan
(5-13)






athens professor
lost pretense of refinement
too drunk for turkey
(5-13)






black shiny carriage,
wooden wheel on cracking ice -
holmes county backroad
(1-10)






hoarse, thirsty blades fans
celebrating new year win -
champagne on lake floes
(9-08)






maine t'california,
roadsigns blurry, roads icy
'round ashtabula
(~10) 




in akron th'road forks -
through icy falls to th'north,
or straight east t'new york
(11-13)





outside toledo
frozen slush falling from truck
makes glazed road deadly
(7-05)

cleveland bus station,

offered hard drugs t'beat th'cold - wait!

I was born 'n this town!
(12-14) 




from catawba shores
truck tires cracking snow on ice -
some will sink in spring
(1-10)

"th'ice 'n th'middle'll hold you,"

he says, driving from c'tawba,

"'s when it pulls from th'shore"

(12-14)

blizzard hides white lines
truck lights dance t'ward troy exit
no such thing as brakes
(2-10)

elmyra trucker –

nine gears, ice ‘n’ gravel, slope,

wouldn’t pass him by
(1-15)




near cincinnati,
truck jackknifed in icy lot,
driver calls and quits
(5-13)

“rock’s th’savior ‘f th’common

man” – she gives th’hall’s tickets

t’one of cleveland’s own

(5-15) 

north coast spring dawn –

fine ear f’r music, th’sharp insult

for th’cities on th’tour

(6-16)

 





good fishin' in may -
old man can tell you when that
river caught on fire
(12-13)





serpent mound story -
body lines up with solstice,
happens to be now
(4-10)





serpent mound solstice -
they tracked the sun precisely,
and then they vanished
(12-13)



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